Job: Part-Time Instructors

Part-Time Instructors 

Queens Botanical Garden is an urban oasis where people, plants and cultures are celebrated through inspiring gardens, innovative educational programs and demonstrations of environmental stewardship. The Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) is a private non-profit cultural institution located on 39 acres of New York City public land in Flushing, New York. The Garden serves nearly 200,000 visitors each year; a visitor survey reveals that 75% of all visitors speak a language other than English at home. This astounding fact underscores the importance of the Garden’s mission and the challenges and opportunities it faces daily in creating programs, exhibits and landscapes that serve the needs of one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation. The Garden has committed itself to addressing the complex and ever changing needs of its diverse community and to being the place where people, plants and cultures meet.

The Education Department of Queens Botanical Garden offers public events, school workshops and teacher training programs throughout the year expressing QBG’s mission of cultural connection to plants and ecological sustainability.

Part Time Instructors are sought for opportunities to teach classes, provide programs and offer tours. Instructors are being engaged to fulfill educational opportunities both at the Queens Botanical Garden and at other locations.

He/She is responsible for all aspects of the program—from preparing materials to teaching the class to breaking down after the class. This position is subject to seasonal changes in volume of workshops.

Examples of opportunities are as follows:

• On-site environmental workshops & tours for various groups
• Off-site programs in schools or at other community facilities
• On-site green building and landscape tours
• Off-site programs for children, families, clubs, etc. at neighborhood festivals, street fairs, holiday events, etc.
• On-site weekend programs and workshops
• Special events such as Arbor Fest and Harvest Fest
• Teacher training classes
• ‘How to Garden’ classes

Requirements: 

– Bachelor’s degree in education, science or a related field. Master’s a plus

– Two years related experience

– Must have knowledge of botany, environmental studies, ethnobotany or life sciences

– Experience and sensitivity working with varied populations

– Must be able to work with large groups of children and adults in an outdoor setting

– Outgoing personality and enthusiastic attitude

– Excellent communication and organizational abilities

– Flexible hours, including weekend and evening availability

We seek candidates with strengths in one or more of various specialties including the following: 

– Green infrastructure and sustainable landscaping knowledge

– Science practices, including general science content and controlled experiments

– Gardening knowledge

– Awareness of local environmental issues

Driver’s license, a plus. Department of Education fingerprinting, a plus.

To apply, please put “Part Time Instructor” in the subject line and email resume and cover letter to ggurman@queensbotanical.org . No calls please.